I’m a member of Orkut and in my quest for possibly placing Zoë, I sent out notices to the Austin and cat lover communities there. The note was brief, saying I’m moving cross country and needed a new home for her, asking if anyone who lives in central Texas and is interested to contact me. I provided a link to the blog post so people could learn more.

Although the cynical part of me knows better, I’m amazed that people won’t bother to read before making a judgment about the kind of person I am. I’m amazed at the intensity and vitriol of some of the responses. It makes me reconsider the concept of “social networks” like Orkut. If asking for help results in condemnation and unconstructive feedback, this removes the incentive to reach out. People who rescue animals plead and urge pet owners to tap all resources if they choose not to keep a pet, and yet the response to my call has been mostly unhelpful.

I received one inquiry from someone local expressing interest in discussing adoption. I’ll be exploring it. One other respondent empathized and provided practical advice on helping her through the move. I’ve not made the final decision yet; I was putting out feelers to see what options might be available.

I’ve been criticized for abandoning my cat and being a nasty person who doesn’t deserve the cat I have. But my goodness, if it’s taboo to ask the question or consider alternatives, how can I make a fully informed decision? This reminds me of religious paradigms which make it a sin to doubt or question. A good decision comes from exploration.

If you have helpful information on how to move a cat such as Zoë 1500 miles — keeping in mind the move will take four days and we’ll then live in a motel for up to 15 days after arrival while we wait for our furniture to arrive and will have two other cats with us — I welcome hearing from you. I you have helpful information about resources in Austin or might want to adopt her, please contact me. If your only message is to ask me why I’m considering this or tell me I’m an awful person, I would rather not hear from you. This is not an easy or painless situation.

This entry was posted
on Wednesday, June 30th, 2004 at 9:09 pm and is filed under Journal, Miscellaney, Regional.
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